Page 14 of Love Me Tender
A few minutes later, he returned with a plate and a bowl, both of which he set in front of her. A golden-brown sandwich made with thick-cut bread sat on the plate beside a bowl of shimmering, crimson soup that smelled heavenly.
Rory stared at the food as if it didn’t make sense. “What’s this?”
“Tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich.” He tossed a dishrag over his shoulder. “What’d you want to drink?”
“Uh, water, I guess.” She picked up a spoon. “Why…”
“Just thought you might need some good food. It’s more appealing than a singing fish, anyway.”
Rory ate every bite of the delicious food and felt a little better. She hadn’t gone back to the Mousehole for another couple of weeks, too caught up with trying to help at Sugar Joy and finish a remote contract job a former boss had given her.
Then she’d seen a news piece about the medical software system that had killed any hope for her own MedCure product, and her heart had shriveled into a hard little ball. She’d returned to the Mousehole and perused the menu for the grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup.
“It’s not on the menu,” Grant told her when he came to take her order.
“But you gave it to me the last time I was here.”
“I had a pot of the soup back at the house, and I made you the sandwich.” He shrugged. “It used to be what I ate when I was feeling down. Still do, as a matter of fact. You looked like you could use it.”
She hadn’t wanted to ask him to make it again, so instead she’d thanked him and ordered the fried cheese curds.
“How about a salad with that?” he’d asked.
“How about a beer?”
Though he muttered a noise of disapproval, he went to the kitchen to place her order. As he passed the bar, a pretty brunette—Sally Gaines, who’d been in Aria’s graduating high-school class—stuck her leg out to block his path.
Her long, shapely leg enhanced by a blue jeweled sandal. Sally curled her hand around Grant’s arm and said something that could have been“Do you have any more ketchup?”but was probably closer to“I’m wearing a lacy thong. Want to see it?”
Grant detached himself from her and rounded the bar. He pressed the button on the singing fish. “Love Me Tender” rang out. Sally laughed gaily, like a little music box.
In that instant, Rory’s amusement over the fish turned into outright dislike.
Still, over the months, she continued to find comfort in the Mousehole—the cheerful conversation, the clinking of plates and silverware, the music coming from the old jukebox, the big stone fireplace. It was a reprieve from everything else in her life, even her mother and sisters.
She liked Grant’s constancy, too. He was always at the bar or taking and serving orders, bussing tables, seating guests. Even if he was cooking in the kitchen, he came out often to chat with customers or deliver a dish in person.
He knew everyone’s favorite drink, how they liked their steaks and burgers, what ingredients they wanted left out. And though he expressed his disdain for Rory’s love of fried foods, he always made sure her order was extra crispy and extra-large.
Now, even though Rory knew it was past time for her to leave Bliss Cove, she couldn’t banish the reluctance and fear tugging at her gut.
When she was living in the bustling, chaotic, traffic-fueled Bay Area again, immersed in work and gnawing on Twizzlers, with her family too far away for weekly dinners…Grant would no longer beright over there.